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Sonoma Valley Sharecropper

How does our Sharecropper agreement work? As we harvest through the seasons, we put up pickles, squash, sauce, jam, beans and pretty much whatever inspires us, and these products go back to the landowners, Imagery Estate and Benziger.

Inspiration

the farm project

Starting the farm project was one of the most interesting collaborative experiences we’ve had yet. In 2010 we found an amazing plot of land and a family who believes in local produce and who is committed to the effort. The Benziger family owns Imagery Estate, a 20 acre property in Glen Ellen, a short drive from the restaurants. Wine grapes are planted on 7 acres but vegetables, herbs, and fruit orchards fill about 12 acres. In addition to the land at Imagery we have a half-acre plot adjacent to the girl & the fig restaurant and several raised beds next to ESTATE, about two acres total.

The goals of the farm project are to see how farming our own produce will affect our business and in what ways – that is why I call it a project. So far the year has shown that it adds a lot of “feel good,” product diversity, major amounts of man power, and a good amount of aspirin for the back pain!

Read more about the farm project in our new book called Plats du Jour; the girl & the fig's Journey Through the Seasons in Wine Country.